Venom Creator Todd McFarlane Supports Sony in Spider-Man Split

While a large contingent of fans is siding with Disney in the ongoing Spider-Man dispute, Sony Pictures has found an unlikely ally in the form of Venom co-creator Todd McFarlane. In a recent convention appearance, the fan-favorite comic creator broke down the situation with fans, eventually siding with Sony over the logical business choices the studio ended up going with.

McFarlane — who also serves as one of the founding partners of indie comic powerhouse Image Comics — led two different panels at FAN EXPO Canada this past weekend and the latter of the two chats took a deep dive into the divide between the two studios. At the time, McFarlane explained how the entire entertainment industry is thriving on various superhero-based intellectual property and it was a no-brainer for Sony to capitalize on the IP they own.

“If you are Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, you’re looking at all these movies called “Avengers” that are making all this money, and you want comic book stuff,” McFarlane said during the panel (via CBR). “They have to take a sharpie and they have to black out those top 94 properties. Because if they’re not Disney or Warner Brothers, they’re just not getting it.”

McFarlane went on to explain how many Hollywood execs are even preemptively purchasing live-action rights to comic books that have yet to be released, hoping to snag the one property they think has a chance at becoming the world’s next big film, television, or streaming franchise.

As it stands now, Sony Pictures is considered the deal closed, even suggesting the “door is closed” on Holland’s Spider-Man returning to the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’d leave Holland and the other actors that have appeared alongside him in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home — such as Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, and Marisa Tomei — to appear in properties within the upcoming Sony Universe of Marvel Characters.

Spider-Man: Far From Home continues its theatrical re-release while Venom 2 will likely debut in Sony’s October 2, 2020 date. The only other movie in Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters currently in production is Morbius, a film set for release July 31, 2020.

Do you think we’ll end up seeing Holland’s Spidey in Venom 2? Share your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things Marvel!